Blog Archives

The Social Liberal Forum (SLF), the biggest left of centre pressure group inside the party, is pressing Mr Clegg and other Lib Dem ministers to make changes after a wholesale review of the Coalition’s approach to welfare. “The so-called ‘bedroom…

This article first appeared on Lib Dem Voice on 1st March. “A fair, free and open society, in which… no one shall be enslaved by poverty.” The fundamental basis of our party’s constitution – its very soul – is the…

Members of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee – together with Social Liberal Form Council members – have written to the Times reasserting the party’s democratic and independent manifesto process. This letter is reproduced here in full (the letter and…

Vince Cable’s speech to the Royal Economic society is being reported as undermining the Chancellor in his pursuit of a budget surplus. This misses the point, as Vince is rightly focussed less on the ins and outs of Westminster politics…

As Liberal Democrats build our manifesto for 2015, one key policy is already being promoted as a flagship measure – continuing to raise the income tax personal allowance to £12,500. While there’s little doubt that raising it to £10,000 in…

**September 15th UPDATE** The SLF’s amendments to tomorrow’s economic policy debate have rightly attracted attention from party members, the leadership and the media.(Amendment 1 (future economic strategy) will be moved by Naomi Smith and summated by David Howarth. Amendment 2…

The Social Liberal Forum’s amendments to Nick Clegg’s economy motion – supported by an unprecedented number of voting representatives – seek to ensure that the party retains distinctive, independent economic narrative up to and beyond the next election. The narrative…

Stephen Tall suggested that Nick Clegg’s motion on the economy, to be debated at party conference in Glasgow, marked the beginning of the 2015 general election campaign for the Liberal Democrats. I disagree. The road to 2015 began the day…

Danny Alexander MP has announced details of the government’s capital spending plans, which are a welcome indication of the long-term investment planned over the coming decade – a Liberal Democrat strategy. With no new money committed to capital spending over…

Prateek Buch, director of the Social Liberal Forum, said: “Britain needs a more effective economic approach beyond hoping that cutting government spending will heal the economy….The additional cuts to local government, transport and public sector pay will squeeze already-strained public…